redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701 
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Post by redzip on Sept 12, 2014 1:37:50 GMT
Anybody use them? What sorts of activities do you do with your horse with them? I thought they would be fun for practice neck reining and as markers (like in dressage). Any other ideas? Thanks!  |
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Post by diamondgirl on Sept 12, 2014 2:54:07 GMT
I put mine in the Stacy Westfall cloverleaf pattern. I doubt I can explain it like she does, but you place 4 of them in a square, and one in the middle. Then you ride around an outside cone, then to the inside of the middle, then around the next cone. You can go around forever if you want to. The fun part it to keep exactly the same distance from each cone, and then to drop the reins and guide the whole pattern with nothing but leg pressure.
Ok I'm a novice and it doesn't take a lot to to excite me. I am anxious to learn what other people do with them. Oh and BTW I don't have actual cones. I have kitty litter jugs. They are rectangular ones with flat sides, not the buckets, they are the 2 gallon jugs. With 5 cats I have a bunch. I stack them up and make a column to face and just move our butt around. We keep facing it and work until we make a whole circle around it.
As a novice I find that having something that I can focus on, helps Diamond understand what I am trying to tell her. She understands the cones, (jugs) and as soon as she understands the pattern, I can use lighter and lighter cues. I think it is good for both of us. |
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Sept 12, 2014 13:35:27 GMT
Set them up in a line and back your horse in a weave pattern through them. They're also good for learning to make a round circle so you're not cutting a corner off.
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redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701
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Post by redzip on Sept 12, 2014 13:41:33 GMT
Cool! Keep the ideas coming!! I bought 6 of them, that seemed like enough to get started with |
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Sept 12, 2014 13:59:32 GMT
I can't help with the cones, just wondering how things are going with you and Zippy and the trainer! We need an update!
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Sept 12, 2014 14:26:43 GMT
I have Cherry Hill's 101 Arena Exercises around here somewhere. I know there are cone exercise in there, I'll see if I can find it. I think it might be at the barn.
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redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701
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Post by redzip on Sept 12, 2014 14:34:48 GMT
I can't help with the cones, just wondering how things are going with you and Zippy and the trainer! We need an update! Things are going GREAT,., altho she hasn't been able to come these past 2 weeks. Zippy loves her, I love her, and Zip has made great strides with the canter. She has taught both of us a few things,., and I am soooooo enjoying my 'Zippy boy' these days. Hopefully she can come next week, as we are FINALLY getting some great temps to ride in. I am looking to start some trail riding SOON, hopefully with our trainer. Can't wait to get on the trails with others  |
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redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701
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Post by redzip on Sept 12, 2014 14:36:37 GMT
I have Cherry Hill's 101 Arena Exercises around here somewhere. I know there are cone exercise in there, I'll see if I can find it. I think it might be at the barn. Thanks for the suggestion! I also have that book, so very good advice,., I'll look thru it this weekend |
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Sept 12, 2014 15:24:15 GMT
I have some training cones. So far I've just used them to practice a serpentine pattern - I line them up and weave through them, and a figure 8 with just 2 cones. I find it makes it easier for me to get Sis to understand why/where we are turning if she has a visual. I've been trying to work on teaching her to neck rein and to just get lighter and pay attention to my cues better, so when she sees the cones it seems to help her. I'm sure there are tons of things you can do with them. Check out Cherry Hill's Arena Exercises book (I think I have that too - I'm going to have to find it and look through it myself!), and just use your imagination! Have fun!
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Lipizzan
Junior Member
Europe, Croatia
Posts: 2,572
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Post by Lipizzan on Sept 12, 2014 15:54:36 GMT
My bf and I race threw the cones. We could use them for smarter things, but we are using them for fun lol  |
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Sept 12, 2014 16:24:55 GMT
I love using them just for a marker for stopping. Because it's easy to get a sloppy stop and then tell yourself that it was okay and let the horse get away with it. If you use a cone you know exactly where you want to stop and you know for sure if it was a good one. It helps with anticipation which also helps your horse.
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Post by shadowlark on Sept 12, 2014 22:00:11 GMT
I like this pattern of cones just cause there's a few exercises you can do without having to change them: Cone set up:  Exercise 1. Start by circling the top 4 cones, then the middle 4 cones, then the bottom 3, then the bottom cone. Each circle will get progressively smaller. After the single cone, reverse the pattern, so bottom cone, then bottom 3, middle 4 and top so your circles get progressively larger:  Exercise 2. Figure 8s through the cones. Again, as you work towards the bottom cone, your figure 8s will get progressively smaller. Circle the bottom lone cone than work your way back up, making each figure 8 larger:  Exercise 3. Weaving in and out. Pretty self explanatory! Weave down one side, circle the bottom cone, then weave back up the other side:  Exercise 4. Progressively smaller serpentines, then reverse for progressively larger ones:  Hope this gives you some ideas! |
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Post by diamondgirl on Sept 12, 2014 22:16:55 GMT
I like that pattern SL. I have to try that. We have done the clover leaf pattern enough, Diamond will just do the pattern without much prompting from me. I think if I change it to yours, she can't just trot the pattern she knows, and have to pay attention to where I tell her to go.
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Sept 12, 2014 23:52:43 GMT
I only have 4 cones, but I might have to buy a few more so I can set them up like that. I really like those patterns!
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Post by horselady on Sept 13, 2014 0:33:09 GMT
I like that one also. i have 8 cones so will place them with two extra and that will give me more time to have them think and place their feet.
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redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701
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Post by redzip on Sept 13, 2014 2:28:16 GMT
LOVE SL |
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Post by horselover4life on Sept 14, 2014 11:07:49 GMT
My son rides a pattern set up with 8 cones, set up near identical to SL but even number across from each other.
They are part of the showmanship ideals he must meet to move on to the next degree of difficulty in riding.
I know he weaves like you would lace a shoe one side, then must weave the other side so although if grass was wet you would see criss-crossing lines. He then must walk down the center line, halt squarely, back 4 steps straight and halt again square, hold for count of 3 {slowly}, walk off and make a pivot on the haunches at the end of the line. His trainer changes it up sometimes and makes him ride in to her as the stop "cone" and he must halt square, back immediately 3 steps, halt. Nod his head as a rider acknowledgement to a judge would do.
All his lines must be straight, not wiggly {that would be me}.
He also uses the cones to make a figure-8 but add a 3 cone to that....he must "make circles not eggs", if done properly the 3 rings he made will just touch or cross into each other. Circles are truly hard to do...not allowed to do eggs. I've been riding for more than 40 years...I make eggs {past tense}... I now make true circles and can get the horse to do them with near "0" rein contact, all by pushing with my legs and seat bone shifting. I cheat though and do use my English saddle when I play around during his lessons exercising another horse for his instructor.. How I learned to do "circles" and not "eggs"....my legs were killing me! I haven;t really ridden long & hard in 15 + years...
I'll have to find his "exercises" book, patterns are in that he uses.....
I'm enjoying this thread and learning all the different things everyone is doing....now I need to buy some cones 
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Sept 17, 2014 20:48:57 GMT
The cones I have are old road cones Gerald got from work, so they're pretty beat up, but I also bought plastic 50 gal drums. I place things on them and then as we walk by I have to pick them up and then put the thing down on another. I've done ground work with them too and see if I can't teach the horse a pattern with a lead and then see if I can't get them to do that same pattern without a lead. I've also put treats on top of the barrels and see if I can't direct the horse over to the barrel, again, without a lead so they can find the treat. It doesn't work as well with horses as with dogs, dogs follow your point, horses not so much.
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Post by lorddaxter on Sept 17, 2014 21:07:02 GMT
When I'm out on the road I weave in and out the spooky poles with flags that utilities stick in the ground, it's making Dax spook at them less!
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Post by diamondgirl on Sept 17, 2014 21:40:26 GMT
When a friend and I were playing with obstacles I made a flag row. I got about 15, 6 foot long wooden garden stakes, and stapled a 1foot X 2foot flag to the top of each pole. I just cut up an old sheet for the flags. We drove them into the ground, about a foot, and rode through and between them. They were pretty scary on a windy day.
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